Weed killer



June 30,v 1931. w. H.'BERGMANN WEED KILLER Filed March 26, 1928 nl... A \N\ j f/l Patented June 30, 1931 miran' jsrA'rl-:fs PATENT .OFFICE WILLIAM H. BEneMANN, or crinvELANn, cmo, yAssreNon To THE AMERICAN FORK a HOEOOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO wEED kKILLER Appucatia ,fried March 2e, 192s. seriai No. 264,642.

Y `Myinven'tion relates to weed killers and more especially relates to the type' of weed killer which deposits a charge of poisonous material at the severed portion of the roots of a weed.

An object of my invention is to provide a weed killer which cuts the roots and places a charge of weed killing material upon the freshly cut root of a weed. y f

Another object of` my invention is to provide a weed killer wherein the poison will be deposited over a large surface of the freshly severed'r-oot of a` weed.

Another object of myinvention is to provide a device-ofthe classy described which may be quickly and easily recharged.

' Another object of my'invention is to provide a -device ofthe class described Vwhich contains a minimum number 'of working parts, is simple to operate, durable in construction and inexpensive'to manufacture.

Thesel and other .objects'of my invention andthe invention itself will becomewapparent from the following description, wherein reference isl had to the accompanying draw-y ings forming a part of this specification; of an embodiment of my invention. `Referring tothe drawings:l Y y Fig. l is an elevational view of an embodiment of my invention;l

Fig.v 2 is aside elevational view ofthe same; y Y Fig.3 is a longitudinal medial sectionall view of the fluid container and dispensing valve therefor; v i i y y Fig: 4l is an end view ofthe device of'my inventionyand f A Y j Y 'i F ig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. n

. Referring to the drawings'wherein like partsare designated by like reference characters, at 1, I show a handle-Twhich'may be made of woodor-pipe and has a reduced end i inserted in a socket 2 and may be held therein by boltsfor'rivets running transversely through the' socket and the handle. The

f socket terminates in a forgingdwhichhas aV pair of, integral saddles/5 extending from one side thereofan'd adaptedV to engage a cylindrical reservoir6;-the reservoir may be lower end thereof, and the extremity is flattened at 8, to receive thereon a chisel shaped blade 9 which is provided with a V-shaped cutting edge 10 at its extremity. The blade may be attached by its upper end tothe forging by welding or riveting to the flattened end 8 of the forging.

The reservoir 6 is not necessarily cylindrical, but this form is preferred on account kof the economy in construction. In the upper end of the reservoir is provided a plug kor cap 11 which may be screw threaded or welded into the endV of the reservoir, and has an upwardly extending drilled boss 12 centrally disposed thereon. There is alsoy provided a filler hole 13 which may be closed by the plug 14. In the opposite end of the cylinder is disposed a dispensing valve mechanism, which comprises a plate having an upwardly extending annular flange which is screw threadedy intothe lower end of the cylinder. At 16 is provided an upwardly extending boss havv ing a central bore 17 running axially therekor welded in the coupling, whichwis held on the'y lower end of the dispensing valve by i l screws 21. f Aseries of radial openings 26 are provided, disposed intermediate the ends of the bore 17.

Upon the blade 94 and running longitudinally most of its length, Awelded or riveted thereto, is a rib 22 which may be of substantially triangular cross section and in the end has a V-shaped notch which corresponds andl aligns with the notch in the cutting end of the blade. A groove 23 runs the entirey lengthof the rib opening towards the blade and provides a canal to receive, the conduit or tube 20 which extends downward to the apex lof the notch and is plugged at its, end. A series of holes are drilled from within the canal before the rib is placed on the blade so that the point of the drill provides small Openings 24 in the highest portions of the rib which communi-V cate with openings'in the conduit20.V At the upper 4end of the blade and running'transversely across it and extending outwardly to one side is provided an arm 25 which may be fastenedlto theblade' by rivetingk or welding.

At 271is'provided a plunger whichjts slidably within the bore 17. The lower end there- `of is slightly pointedas shown at 30. In the thebore. l. ""Whenfit is desired upper endof the plungeris screw threaded a rod 28 which.entendsthroughty the 'borefa'nd the boss 12 and runs upward along the Side ofthe handle andhaspat its end ahoolH or grip 29.k The rod is guided adjacent its free end by a guide 32 fastened to the'han'dle.

The .plunger is spring pressed into the bore 17 by a helical' spring '31:7' whichis disposed aroundand gu'idedby thje rod;28. Thespring; hasa limited compressionfwhich prevents the plunger from' being. entirely withdrawn from top use myY invention 'for theferadicature ofnoXious weeds, `the blade. is placed against .thelroot oftheweed and is *pressedinto the ground and by pressure upon the arnr25gwith th@ footfthe blade cuts the root, and. the grip 29 is then pulled upward, .which allows a small quantity of, the'. Huid from thereservor, used to .poison theroot, to enter the bore 17, by means of the radial, intake openings 26, which connect with thereservoir. Thehandle 29 is then released andthe spring 3l which bears againstthe upper end koi''the reservoir andagainst-the end ofV the plunger forces/the plunger into thebore, closing, thev intake holes. and forcing Va portion ofthe liquidout ofthe chamber 17., throughthe conduit20 inthe blade, and ,out ofthe orifices adjacent theicuttingedge of the blade upon the portionjo'ftheroot which has been severed 'and lefty inthe ground after the cuttinglop'eration. `rlvheeflect is to permit removalimmediately ofthat parteid the weed above. .thegroun d and. to. kill the root that is left in theV ground.

Theffluid ejection, ,coniprisingthe spring pressedjplunger27, whenv released 'afterthe 'plunger .has ,been .preliminarily liftedy taperinit a lquantity offiiuidto enter [the cylindrical .f 20 with great pressure, depending upon the;

pressure yof the spring Slpandthisinay verylVV well'. beg'many hundreds` of pounds per; square finch, .since the spring2lmay havea power; 55j.

of yfrom l to 30 pounds/fand the plunger 27 andthe bore in which-it reciprocates .maybeof a diameter of perhaps only of aninch. The applicationofthis high-pressure to the rfluid in theduct will serve to forcibly eject all dirt or other extraneous substancesfrom the Aopenings'y 24 which are.v disposedy in the lateral`v wall Vofthe duct,` and. directlyabove andrcadjacent to the apex 29 of, theinverted;

Yeshfaped sharpened edge of. the blade 9.

Th PlOVSIOn et. the. -footpressure bar 2.5.-.

ise'specially advantageous las it permits easy directing of 'the blade to the proper point adjacent the roots, the easy forcing of the blade'to the desired point to sever the roots and enables the operator to lift the'rod 28 by the handle ,29 against-the considerable pressure of the .spring 31.' The latterfefect permits use of a heavier spring and therefore secures a higher fluidpressure in the Yduct :2O to 'remedy' cloggingrv otY thev passages 24than= wouldotherwisebe lp ossible.

The reservoir may. be filled with a iiuidv or the' like by pouring 'it' in Vthe'upper end throughtheiiller hole 13. l `Having thus described my invention in a specific embodiment, I, ain aware'that numer ous-` and extensive departuresrmay beV made` Vfront-the embodiment herein illustratedV and' described, without departing: from lthe lspirit of my invention.

Ivcllaimp v Y y v v 1.111 a weed cutting and root destroying device,I an elongated cutting blade having aI forwardly disposed notched cutting. edge, ag handle projecting upwardly fromv and. supportingthe blade, anuid yreservoir-carried' by the handle, a 'high pressure iiuid'fejectf ing element Jfor the reservoir, rneansprovide ing a discharge duct for the reservoir carried by 'the blade extending longitudinallyY of the and above the apex, 4of. the cutting edge, vthat said openings will permit ejection of the; fluidf from the reservoir lat high; pressure on the. lower side` of -thefblade linthe longitudinal centralportion thereof so 'astoflow''di-v rectly, onto the upperl portion of the root stock when said stock is -se-veredf-byfthegproe jection ofthe vblade--obliquely into :the ground.

31. In a weed cutting and rootdestroying device-,van elongated cutting bladehaving a forwardly disposed? notched cutting edge, at

handle projecting upwardly fromV and supe.

porting theV blade, aI fluid Vreservoir .carried bythe handle'. a highpressure fiuid ejecting elementy for y* the reservioir;v means I. providing a discharge duct for'the reservoir carried.by; Y

the i blade *extending* longitudina'l'lyl,V of'`V .the blade provided; with a, laterally'dispos'ed dis-f charge openingfinV its lowerV portions. dis-..

Y posed yadj acent to and; above the .aperof the notched cutting edge, said device comprising f forwardly disposed notched cutting edge, a

handle projecting upwardly from and supporting the blade, a fluid reservoir carried by the handle, a high pressure fluid ejecting element for the reservoir, means providing a discharge duct for the reservoir carried by .the blade extending longitudinally ofthe blade provided with a laterally disposed discharge opening in its lower portions disposed adjacent to and above the apex ofthefnotched cutting edge, said device/comprising a laterally extending arm disposed adjacent the non-cutting end of the blade for engagement by the foot of the operator for forcibly pro jecting the blade into the ground, and means for operating said fluid ej ecting element comprising a spring-pressed plunger and a rod projecting along the handle for retracting said plunger against the pressure of said spring by manual pullingof the rod at the handle end thereof, said spring adapted to re4 strain the plunger to effect forcible ejection of the fluid through the discharge duct.

5. In a weed cutting and root destroying device, a support for ablade, a blade on the support, ya cutting edge on the blade adapted to be thrust into the ground, a fluid duct associated with the blade and extending to a point adjacent the cutting edge, the blade and duct being adapted to be forced into the earth, a discharge opening for the duct positioned to permit discharge of fluid from the 'duct in a. direction transverse to the direction of movement of the duct when shoved into the ground whereby clogging of the discharge opening is prevented.

6. In a weed cutting and root destroying device, a blade support, an elongated cutting blade adapted to be shoved into the earth, a cutting edge on the lower end of the blade, a fluid duct on the blade'arranged generally in the direction in which the blade is shoved into the ground and extending to a point adjacent the cutting edge, a discharge opening for the duct opening at an angle to the direction of movement of the duct when shoved into the earth, whereby clogging of the duct 5 is prevented.

7. In a weed cutting and root destroying device, a blade support, anelongated cutting blade adapted to be shoved into the earth, a

cutting edge on the lower end of the blade, a fluid duct on the blade arranged generally in the direction in which the blade is shoved into the ground and extending to a point adjacent the cutting edge, adischarge opening for the duct opening at an angle to the direction of movement of the duct when shoved into the earth, whereby clogging of the duct is prevented, a fluid reservoir connected with the duct and a high pressure fluid ejecting means for the reservoir to force fluid therefrom into the duct.

8. In a weed cutting and root destroying device, a blade support, an elongated cutting blade adapted to be shoved into the earth, a cutting edge on the lower end of the blade, a fluid duct on the blade arranged generally in the direction in which the blade is shoved into the ground and extending to a point adjacent the cutting edge, a discharge opening for the duct opening at an angle to the direction of movement of the duct when shoved into the earth, whereby clogging'of the duct is prevented, a fluid reservoir connected with the duct and a high pressure fluid ej ecting means for the reservoir to force fluid therefrom into the duct, said means comprising a cylinder, a piston therefor, and a lateral port through the piston wall, the piston being adapted to be withdrawn beyond the port to permit fluid to enter the cylinder through the port and resilient means for forcing the piston into the cylinder to cover the port and put under pressure the fluid in the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature this 15 day of March, 1928.

WILLIAM H. BERGMANN. 

